Menopause Support Missing For 35% Of Working Women In Survey

Menopause support is absent from the workplaces of 35 percent of surveyed working women in Canada and the United States. Another 19 percent do not know whether their employer offers any support.

The Menopause Blind Spot survey by Cashew Research found limited reporting of formal menopause support policies and manager training. Twelve percent reported a workplace menopause policy, while 8 percent reported training for managers.

According to the Benefits and Pensions Monitor report, flexible hours or remote work was the most commonly reported measure. Twenty percent of respondents reported that option.

Menopause Support And Workplace Experiences

Paid leave covering perimenopause or menopause needs followed at 16 percent. An open discussion culture and temperature control or environmental accommodations each reached 14 percent.

Across the full sample, 32 percent had missed days or called in sick because of perimenopause or menopause. Twenty-five percent had hidden symptoms from managers or colleagues for fear of being judged.

Thirteen percent reduced their hours, and 9 percent considered leaving their job. Eight percent delayed or declined a promotion or leadership opportunity.

Seven percent left a job or retired early. The employment consequences also make women’s workforce participation a relevant topic for further reading.

Gen X respondents were most likely to report missed days, at 37 percent. Gen Z respondents were least comfortable with coworkers, at 30 percent.

Menopause Support Trails Healthcare Information

Six percent encountered perimenopause or menopause information through workplace or employer resources. Forty-four percent received information through a healthcare provider.

“We’re talking about menopause more than ever, but women are telling us that awareness hasn’t translated into feeling prepared or supported,” said Addy Graves. Graves is Cashew’s CEO and made the remarks in the company’s news release.

Twenty-three percent agreed that employers offered enough support for people going through menopause. That was the lowest-scoring statement in the survey question.

Asked what menopause support would help most, 18 percent selected workplace policies or manager training. Routine screening questions at checkups received 45 percent, while required training for doctors received 37 percent.

Nineteen percent of Canadian respondents said a provider first raised menopause, compared with 29 percent in the United States. Thirty-five percent of Canadians raised it themselves, against 24 percent of US respondents.

Menopause Support Features In Canadian Policy Proposals

The Menopause Policy Agenda for Canada seeks mandatory menopause-inclusive workplace action plans for employers with more than 500 employees. It asks federal, provincial and territorial governments to lead by example.

The Menopause Foundation of Canada document also seeks menopause as a named prohibited ground of discrimination. It calls for guidance confirming protection under sex, age and disability grounds.

The agenda attributes 540,000 lost workdays and $237m in annual employer productivity losses to unmanaged symptoms. It cites the foundation’s 2023 Menopause and work in Canada report.

More than 240 companies have joined the foundation’s Menopause Works Here campaign. Other employer-focused reading includes Firstsource’s workplace inclusion coverage and Audigy’s women-led workplace recognition.

Medical advisory board member Michelle Jacobson said workplaces can help close the knowledge gap and reduce stigma. The agenda asks governments to require employer action plans and clarify discrimination protections.